Method of and apparatus for forming cables



EQ M. RUNQUIST ET AL 1,311,397 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMINGCABLES June 30, 1931.

Filed NOV. 30, 1926 Patented June so, 1931 U ED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7ERNEST MARTIN RUNQUIST, OF GICERO, AND THORNTON mnwmy irlsuvcnv,- 03 OAKPARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGINORS TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OFNEW YORK, N.- Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK HE'IHOD'OF AND APPARATUS FORFORMING CABLES I Application m d November 30, 1926. Serial No. 151,655.a

This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for forming cables,and more partlcularly to methods of and apparatus for forming flat andoval types of stranded cable.

In some instances, particularly in connection with interconnecting ofelectrical circuits in telephone. switchboards, it is desirand inaccordance with the able to employ cables composed of insulatedelectrical conductors and accurately formed into oval or substantiallyflat cross sections, to agree with the size and compact arrange ment ofthe associated apparatus.

The primary objects of this invention'are to (provide a simple andefiective method of an apparatus for expeditiously and accuratelystranding a cable into a desirable size and shape. I p 4 In order toobtain these and other objects eneral features of the invention, oneembodlment of the invention in an apparatus by means of which the methodmay be efiicientl practiced includes a pair of parallel rol ers adaptedto form twisted strands into a cable having a substantially flat or ovalcross section. These rollers are adapted to be adjusted anlgularly withrespectto a second air of r ers arranged in tandem therewith forcompressing strands of material to form them into a cable havin a--substantially flat cross section. By a justing the-first mentionedforming rollers angularly with re ect to themes of the second pair ofroliiars in a direction which is reverse to the twist which has-beenimparted to the strands, the tension of certain of the strand portionsextending between thetwo pairs.

of rollers is relieved and upon passing through the second pair ofrollers, a flattened or oval type of cable is formed which is verycompact in structure and which con forms to a desired form of crosssection.

These and other objects will be a parent from the following detaileddescription and the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is anelevational view of a forming mechanism which is adapted for applicationto conventional types of cable forming machines;

forming mec taken on lme's -5, 6-6, and 7-7, respec- Fig. 2 is;an endelevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Flg. 4 1s a diagrammatic representation of a'material. twisting andserving mecha-.

nism and vcable 'formmg rollers associated therewith;

F1gS. 5, 6, and 7 are-transverse sectional v1ews of the stranded cabledisclosing relathey areproglressively associated with the anism, thesesections being tively, of: Fig- 4.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like nu'm'erals'have been employedto designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will beobserved that vmechanism 10 is disclosed in Fig.1 which is a formingprovided with a shank 11 capable of application to the stationary suport (not shown) if a conventional cable servlng head 12 (Fig. ed head 14com rising av pair of branches 15 (Figs. 1 and 3?. Positioned betweenthese Thisshank'is formed with a bifurcatbranches 1-5- and rotatable onpins or bolt members 16 are a rollers 18. 1

A pair of'spaced forming. rollers 19 are pair of spaced forming mountedupon pins or bolts 21 which extend,

between a pair of bracket members 22.

These brackets 22 are carried by a circular plate or disc 24 having acentral opening 25, said disc being adapted for association with thebranches 15 as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The plate 24 is provided with a circular raised portion 27 which 'fitswithin a companion recess 28 (Fig. 3) formed in the branches 15 and bythis construction the plate 24 is retained coaxially with respect to theaxis of rotation of the head 14. Bracke ets 30 secured at opposite endsof the branches 15 are provided with openings to receive clamping bolts31 which extend throu h arcuate slots 32 formed in the plate 24 an .tionthat upon the loosening of a pair of tightening nuts 33 threaded uponthe bolts 31, the plate 24 and consequently the rollit will be clearfrom this construct1ve .posltlons of the indivldual strands as ers 19carried thereby may be adjusted a'ngularly with respect to the rollers18 within the head 14.

In Fig. 4 a diagrammatic representation of a conventional strand formingand twisting head 34 is disclosed and to more clearly disclose thefunctional characteristics of the rollers 18 and 19, said rollers havebeen diagrammatically shown disassociated from their supportingstructures. It is common practice, in some instances, to draw strands35, such as insulated electrical conductors, by means of a capstan 37 orany other suitable mechanism through the twisting head 34 during therotation thereof and through a forming die normally ositioned at thepoint of convergence of t e strands 35 in the position occupied by therollers 19 in Fig. 4 and then through a serving mechanism 38.

In use, the forming mechanism 10 is fixed in position upon thestationary support (not shown) of the servinghead 12 and strands 35 aredrawn between the rollers 18 the rollers 18 in a direction which isreverse to that of the stranding twist imparted by the rotation of thehead 34, or conversely, that the resulting angular relation of therollers 18 with respect to the rollers 19 is in a direction similar tothat of the stranding twist. The direction of rotation of the twistinghead 34 is indicated by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 5. Immediatelyprior tothe introduction of the strands 35 between the rollers 19, the strandswill assume a spaced relation substantially as shown in Fig. 5 andimmediately subsequent to the compression and passage of the strandsbetween these rollers, they will assume a cross sectional formsubstantially as shown in Fig. 6. By reason of the particular angularrelation between the axesof the rollers 18 and 19 disclosed, it .will beunderstood that more strand will be paid out from the twisting head 34than if the rollers were parallel and that the tension in some of thestrands at the outer edges as indicated; by the numeral 40 Fig. 6) willbe relieved. This relieving e ect is similar to that experienced by theoutermost strands of a rope or cable whenone portion thereof is held ina fixed position and another portion in proximity thereto is gripped andturned in a direction which tends to remove the twist in the rope orcable. This momentary relief in the tension of certain of the strandsenables the rollers 18 to ompressoract upon the composite group 0strands so asto form them into a very compact group having a crosssection as shown in Fig.7 which is uniform in compactness and roperlyshaped. By employing the metho which may be readily practiced by meansof the disclosed apparatus, it has been found that any tendency of theindividual strands to become distorted is eliminated and hence when thecable is brought into association with a taping or serving mechanism,the cross section thereof conforms to the desired flattened form. Therelative lengths of the major and minor crosssectional dimensions of thefinished cable ma be controlled within specified limits by t e angularadjustment of the pair of rollers. It has also been found that by thenotice of this method fiat and oval types 0 cables may be produced whichare not only more uniform in cross sectional characteristics but whichare thinner and wider than those capable of being produced by thepractice of methods now in common use.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exactconstruction and operation of the apparatus herein described and thatthe appended claims have been drawn to define modifications which comewithin the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for forming stranded cables, means for twisting aplurality of strands, means for drawmg the strands through the twistingmeans, means'for forming the twisted strands drawn therethrough, and asecond forming means disposed at an acute angle with respect to thefirst mentioned forming means in a direction similar to the direction oftwist imparted to the strands and in tandem to the first forming means.

2. In an' apparatus for forming stranded cables means for twisting aplurality of strands,' means for drawmg the strands through the twistingmeans, a pair of rollers for forming the twisted strands, and a secondpair of forming rollers arranged in tandem therewith, said pairs ofrollers being angularly adjustable with respect to each other.

3. In an apparatus for forming stranded cables, means for twisting aplurality of strands, means for drawing the strands through the twistingmeans, a pair of rollers for'forming the twisted strands, and a second0nd pair of forming rollers dis sed at an acute angle with respect tothe rst pair of rollers in a direction similar to the direction of twistimparted to the strands and in tandem to the first formin rollers.

4.:In an apparatus for orming stranded cables from a plurality ofstrands, means forf 'advancin the strands, means for twistingthe'strans, a roller for partiall forming the twisted strands, a second ro erdisposed at an angle to the first roller for completing the formation ofthe twisted strands into a cable of a predetermined cross section, andmeans for adjustin the angular relation of the rollers with res ect toeach other to form a cable of a di erent cross section.

5. In an apparatus for forming stranded cables from a plurality ofstrands, means for advancing the strands, means for twisting thestrands, a pair of spaced rollers interposed between the advancing meansand the twisting means for compressing the twisted strands into acomposite cable of a predetermined cross section, a second pair ofspaced rollers interposed between the twisting means and the first pairof rollers and disposed with their axes at an angle to the axes of thefirst rollers for consolidating the strands into a flat cable. a

6. A method of forming a fiat cable from .a plurality of strands,comprising advancing the strands in spaced lateral relation to eachother, causing the advancing strands to converge into a fiat formationby exerting a lateral pressure thereagainst while twisting the strandsabout each other, and consolidating said formation by exerting a lateralpressure thereagainst at a point longitudinally removed along the cablefrom the point of convergence and disposed at an angle to the firstmentioned lateral pressure.

7. A method of forming a flat cable from a plurality of strands,comprising advancing the strands in spaced lateral relation to eachother, converging the strands into a flat operating surfaces disposed atan angle to the first mentioned surfaces removed longitudinally alongthe cable from the first pa1r of cooperating surfaces and adapted toconsolidate said formationinto a flat cable.

10. An apparatus for forming flat cable from a plurality of strands,comprising a rotating head for twisting the strands about each other, apair .of cooperating surfaces disposed forwardly of the rotating headand adapted to cause the strands to converge into a flat formationwithout arresting the twisting thereof, a second pair of cooperatingsurfaces disposed forwardly of andat an angle to the first mentionedsurfaces and adapted to consolidate said formation into a fiat cable,and means for advancing the strands through the rotating head and thecooperating surfaces.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 16th day ofNovember A.- D., 1926.

ERNEST MARTIN RUNQUIST. THORNTON MODUFFEY YANCEY.

formation by exerting opposite lateral pressures against the strandswhile imparting a twist to said formation, and consolidating saidformation by exerting opposite lateral pressures thereagainst at anangle to the first mentioned lateral pressures and at a pointlongitudinally removed along the cable from the first lateral pressuresexerted.-

8. An apparatus for forming flat cable from a plurality of strands,comprisin means for advancing the strands in space a lateral relation toeach other, means for twistin the strands about each other during suchadvancement, means for exerting lateral pressure against the twistedstrands to cause them to converge into a flat formation, and meansdisposed forwardly of the first mentioned means for exerting a lateralpressure at an angle to the first mentioned lateral pressure toconsolidate said formation into a cable.

9. An apparatus for forming flat cable from a plurality of strands,comprising a twisting head, means for advancing the strands through thetwisting head, a pair of cooperating surfaces disposed between thetwisting head and the advancing means and adapted to exert a lateralpressure against the strands to cause them to converge into a fiatformation, and a second pair of 00-

